Arizona Signs New Immigration Act into Law

On Friday, April 23, 2010, Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a new immigration bill, SB 1070, into law. The new immigration law gives police the authority to determine people’s immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion.” SB1070 also makes it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant and allows anyone to sue a local, county, or state agency if they believe the agency is not enforcing immigration laws. The law promises to have a chilling effect on the economy, with unjustifiable raids on businesses and immigrants fleeing the state as a consequence of attrition through enforcement.